THE EDITOR, Sir:

A lot has been written and said about St Hilda's High School's decision to strip the current head girl of her position. I did not know the gift of prophecy/foresight was one of the competencies for one to become a principal. Even if the student in question is a Jehovah's Witness - and this has not been proven - this should not have excluded her from becoming head girl if it is that she is deserving of such an honour.

As a church-based school, one would have thought that forgiveness as a virtue would be high on the value-added chain of the institution's hidden curriculum. Whatever the youngster would have said in the meeting with the principal, there seems to have been a rather hasty decision to strip this girl of the position of head girl. Children have rights, too.

WAYNE CAMPBELL

waykam@yahoo.com [1]